4th – 5th November

Driving into Mekele after the previous 4 days felt like entering the World’s most modern metropolis. Of course, it is not quite this grand but it’s a lot nicer than Addis. We stayed in the modern wing of the Axum Hotel, which was probably the nicest place we’ve stayed the whole trip.

Mekele is not a tourist town, but the market was as much of an attraction as I needed. Kim, Tom and I took a walk there to see the salt at the other end of the line. It was far less glamorous sprawled over the pavement in small blocks and crushed in hessian sacks. The loaded camels now just a distant memory. 

I particularly enjoyed poultry street where men herded chickens and swung them about their shoulders. One elderly gentleman tried to give me a chicken. He had such a hopeful grin, but no matter whether a gift or at a price, Australian customs would have taken the same view…Hell no! 

Tigraian women lined the pavement selling their vegetables. There was unroasted coffee in piles waiting for customers. There was a whole section of the pavement dedicated to grass which I found most intriguing.